“Does eating organic food prevent cancer?”
—Christina DeGennaro, 31, Concord, North Carolina
“People who consistently eat a diet high in fruit and vegetables have lower cancer risk—whether the produce is organic or not,” says David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale Prevention Research Center in New Haven, Connecticut. The foods you really should be worried about are anything processed or sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. “These foods are linked to obesity, which is itself a significant risk factor for cancer,” Dr. Katz explains. “That said, it does make sense to keep pesticide exposure to a minimum, because we’re not sure how—if at all—it affects cancer risk.” About 3 percent of domestic products and 4 percent of imported products had pesticide levels of concern, according to a 2007 FDA report. Some items contain higher levels of pesticides than others, so use our shopping list the next time you hit the grocery store.
OPT FOR ORGANIC…
Meat, poultry, eggs and dairy
“Nonorganic meat and dairy products are often treated with hormones and antibiotics, and we don’t know what effect this might have on cancer risk,” Dr. Katz says. Until we do, it might be worth buying organic.
Some fruit and vegetables
“These items have been shown to have relatively higher amounts of pesticides, We’re not sure why, but it may be because they have more permeable skin or more
is taken in through their root systems,” says Kathryn Allen, R.D., director of nutrition therapy at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.
- Bell peppers
- Collard greens
- Domestic blueberries
- Imported grapes
DON’T FRET ABOUT…
These items contain lower levels of pesticides, which in some cases may be due to their thicker outer layer, Allen says.